What Is Police Now?
Police Now is a British charity that is supported by the home office and promotes the recruitment of police officers across England and Wales. Working with 31 of 43 police forces, Police Now focuses on recruiting talented graduates with leadership potential into the police force, to become the next generation of police officers and detectives.
Police Now's mission is to transform communities, reduce crime and instil public confidence in the police. Police now seek graduates from all degree disciplines to join their National Detective Programme and National Graduate Leadership Programme.
Types Of Programmes And Roles
Police Now has two programmes - the National Detective Programme and National Graduate Leadership Programme. Both programmes offer graduates the opportunity to learn and earn a salary at the same time.
The National Graduate Leadership Programme is a two-year programme where graduates are trained to become leaders in neighbourhood policing. They will learn invaluable leadership and problem-solving skills whilst tackling complex issues facing the most vulnerable in society. They will also gain a Graduate Diploma in Professional Policing Practice from the University of Huddersfield.
The National Detective Programme is also two years in length, where graduates will be placed in communities challenged by crime to learn the skills and gain the experience required to become a police detective.
To apply for either of these programmes you must meet their eligibility criteria, some of their key criteria include:
- You must be of age 17 or over.
- You must have been a resident in the UK continuously for the past 3 years.
- You can be of any nationality, provided you have the right to remain and work indefinitely in the UK.
- You must have achieved or be predicted to achieve at least a 2:2 at a UK university or equivalent from a non-UK university.
Police Now Application Process Stages
For both programmes, the Police Now application process consists of four steps that are designed to be as streamlined as possible for candidates. The application process includes an online application, online assessment, digital assessment centre, and finally the onboarding. Applications usually open in the summer, with the application process typically taking between two to three months.
Police Now Online Application
The first stage of the application process is an online application form, which should not take any longer than 30 minutes to complete. During the application you will be required to give basic details so Police Now can check you are eligible for the programme, this includes personal information, education history, employment history, and convictions.
The online application takes five working days to process, and if you are successful at the initial screening review, you will be invited to take an online assessment.
Police Now Online Assessment
The next stage of the application process is the online assessment, which consists of the week-in-the-life immersive assessment and the personality questionnaire.
The week-in-the-life immersive assessment takes you through a five-day shift in a busy station, presenting you with realistic hypothetical scenarios that you might encounter in the day-to-day job as a detective or neighbourhood officer. Some questions will ask you to select the most and least effective responses (similar to a situational judgement test), and others will require you to video record your responses. This gives Police Now an idea of how you are likely to perform on the job by assessing how you react in different situations, how you dealt with it, and how you articulate yourself in video responses.
After this, you will be asked to complete a personality questionnaire, which explores your behavioural preferences, the way you tackle tasks, and how you work with others. The questionnaire will consist of several statements from which you will need to rank from 'most like me' to 'least like me'. When answering the questions try to keep in mind the desirable traits for the role, and don't dwell on questions too long as initial reactions are often the most accurate.
Police Now Assessment Centre
If you are successful in the online assessment, you will be invited to the assessment centre, which may be held digitally over Zoom, depending on the circumstances. The assessment centre will involve a series of activities such as a role-play exercise, virtual case centre, written exercise, and an interview, however, this may vary depending on the programme you have applied for. The assessment centre can take up to five hours, with breaks in between exercises.
These activities are focused on realistic scenarios that are designed to give you the chance to showcase your character, attitude, and aptitude for policing, which allows Police Now to find out more about you and your suitability for the role. The assessment centre also provides you with valuable insight into the programme so you can learn more about the position, and ensure it is right for you.
Police Now will be looking for how candidates respond to new challenges, how they work collaboratively in a team, and their ability to learn and adapt throughout the day. Police Now will use the assessment day to see which candidates are best aligned with their mission, competencies, and values.
After the assessment centre, Police Now will let you know the outcome within two weeks, and will also provide some feedback on your performance in the assessment centre.
Police Now Onboarding
Success at the assessment centre will lead to an offer by your recruitment officer, which will be followed by your onboarding. The onboarding consists of a range of checks and tests to make sure you are fit for the position including:
- Background and vetting checks
- Biometric and fitness tests
- Medical assessment
- Checking your degree certificate
- Obtaining and reviewing references from previous employers
There will also be online learning to complete before starting the programme. Lastly, you will attend induction events for both the police force and Police Now, which is a great opportunity to meet with future coworkers and build your network.
Tips To Get Hired At Police Now
Research Police Now
When applying for a position at Police Now it is important to do your research on the organisation so you are familiar with its mission, values, and history. This will help you at every stage of the application process, as you can demonstrate that you are well acquainted with the organisation, and you can highlight why you are an ideal fit for the programme.
Practice Tests
One of the most effective ways you can prepare for the online assessment is to practice sample situational judgement tests and personality tests. This will help you become familiar with the format of the questions and their style and reduce any worries you may have about the online assessment. This will also help you learn how to answer the questions in a way that is aligned with Police Now's programmes the most.
Keep Calm
Throughout the application process, it is important to remain calm. Whether you are participating in activities at the assessment centre or answering questions in the online assessment, remaining calm will help you perform at your best and showcase your greatest strengths.
Read/listen to the Questions Carefully
Make sure you read/listen to the questions carefully during the online assessment and assessment centre. You need to ensure you fully understand what is being asked of you so you can answer the question effectively. If you are asked a question you don't understand, do not hesitate to ask for it to be repeated or for more clarification.
Use Examples When Responding To Questions
When answering questions during the interview, make sure to give relevant examples as this will help you formulate a stronger response. The STAR (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) technique is an effective tool to use to ensure you are giving relevant and concise examples in your answer.
